


cracked

by athletiger



Series: the ironclad winter soldier [6]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Hurt, Hurt Tony, Hurt Tony Stark, Tony Whump, Torture, Whump, Winter Soldier Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-10-05 07:26:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17320592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/athletiger/pseuds/athletiger
Summary: It’s hard to breathe through the agony. “Asset. Codename: Crimson Mechanic,” he says – stumbles really, through his numb lips and dumb tongue. It hurts so much to talk, yet he argues, a little bit louder, “Anthony Stark. Avenger. Iron Man…Captain America.”





	cracked

**Author's Note:**

> Third out of four fic bingo for today! For h/c prompt fill headaches/migraines.
> 
> Unbeta'ed

There are a thousand beating drums playing a cadence in his mind. The Asset…Tony…whimpers as he sits in his cell, legs tucked close to his chest, shaking hands wrapped around his skull as his head pounds, his mind fighting the control and the programming that overwrites his former identity in his head.

He…can’t…think, for the pounding is crippling and painful.

The Asset (Tony) bangs his head against the bright white wall, the light above beating down relentlessly upon him. It saturates into his mind, burning him. He screams wordlessly and he throws his hands down to scrabble uselessly against the white floor. His fingers leave blood stains against the tile in its wake, but he ignores it because he has bigger things to worry about.

He closes his eyes tightly, whimpers pitifully when the pain doesn’t recede even for a moment. Tony…the Asset slumps to the ground, making sure to bang his head against the linoleum flooring hard in hopes that the pounding would go away.

It doesn’t – it makes it worse.

It’s hard to breathe through the agony. “Asset. Codename: Crimson Mechanic,” he says – stumbles really, through his numb lips and dumb tongue. It hurts so much to talk, yet he argues, a little bit louder, “Anthony Stark. Avenger. Iron Man…Captain America.”

“Ste – “ he coughs, body shaking with the force. He wanes out for a second when his brain caves under the pressure of the pain, but it reboots immediately, resuming its pounding and pain.

The Asset crawls forward…he uses his arms to drag his body to the corner of his cell, putting his back to the wall, and he hugs his legs close to his chest. He shuts his eyes and tucks his head next to his knees.

He yells, pressing his hands against his forehead. His mind is split into two. He doesn’t know who he is. He barely remembers his name and what he did. The Asset? Or is he Anthony Stark?

“Tony Stark,” he says, even though it hurts to speak. It gives him something to hold onto. “Steve Rogers…”

He bashes his head backwards, not noticing that his head has split open behind him, smearing blood in his hair and down the white wall, leaving a puddle on the floor. “Crimson Mechanic.” His hand shakes, his body shudders hard, seizing as it takes the abuse from the torture that has been inflicted upon Tony (the Asset).

In a moment of clarity, the pain recedes, and Tony prevails. He’s been here for long enough, he’s sure, so Pepper and Rhodey would have had sent out a “Missing Person” alert, and the U.S. government would have been on red-priority alert to search out for him. With that, he’s also sure that Steve and the rest of the Avengers would have gotten wind of him missing. He doesn’t know if his disappearance would have set them into a manhunt for him, but he likes to think so.

It’s hard to hold onto the past as the new programming overwrites who he was, and he loses hope that he can wait until they find him. He’s tried to hold for so long, but the programming is stronger.

The pounding returns full force.

He’s tired. Steve, if he was here, would have encouraged him to hold on, he’s coming, but Cap has already chosen his side, and it isn’t him.

His mind slips, and in its place, the Asset prevails.


End file.
